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Engaging in education research is a "superb" form of professional development for teachers, writes Tom Sherrington, a headteacher at a school in England. In this blog post, Sherrington describes how teachers at his school meet throughout the year to conduct research projects -- on topics such as the effect of reading aloud in class -- and share results with the full faculty at year's end. "We've found teachers are highly motivated by the process; it is voluntary, self-directed and unpaid, yet they engage with it because of the rewards that this level of rigour brings," Sherrington writes.

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Following his proposal to lengthen school weeks, France's education minister, Vincent Peillon, now is seeking to shorten summer holidays by two weeks. Both moves have upset teachers, who last month launched industrial action in response to the reforms. Supporters say the increased instructional time is intended to raise students' performance, while teachers say they are not being offered anything in return for the additional workload.

Engaging in education research is a "superb" form of professional development for teachers, according to Tom Sherrington, a headteacher in the U.K. In this blog post, Sherrington describes how teachers at his school meet throughout the year to conduct research projects -- on topics such as the effect of reading aloud in class -- and share results with the full faculty at year's end. "We've found teachers are highly motivated by the process; it is voluntary, self-directed and unpaid, yet they engage with it because of the rewards that this level of rigour brings," Sherrington writes.

Kate McGee, headteacher at Manor Primary School in London writes in this blog post that her school has hit the "nail on the head" with its practical curriculum that allows students to work toward tangible outcomes to classroom learning. McGee notes that the technique of engaging students in practical activities is particularly useful at the school where students speak 53 different languages.

In Zamfara, Nigeria, officials are seeking to increase the quality of science and maths teachers, in part through additional training. Already 500 primary-school teachers have undergone training through the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, and the board has pledged to review teaching methods with educators to ensure quality teachers are in the classroom.

In this blog post, teachers in the United Kingdom offer their predictions for education in 2013. Among them are Tom Sherrington, head teacher at Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, England, who predicts more involvement among educators in education policy. Andrew Jones, head of religious studies and sociology at Goffs School in Cheshunt, England, suggests 2013 will bring new questions about religious education.